


Magic Shop

by Ecrivaine



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Dreams, M/M, Magic Shop
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-04
Updated: 2018-10-09
Packaged: 2019-07-25 05:21:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16190930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ecrivaine/pseuds/Ecrivaine
Summary: Eren works in a coffee shop. He has a fairly normal life day in day out, until he finds a mysterious shop on his way home from work one night. Ever since then, he can't stop going back to it for various reasons.





	1. Chapter 1

~ ''Magic Shop' is a phycodramatic technique that exchanges fear for a positive attitude." ~

* * *

 

 

Eren's fingers drummed on the counter. There he was, six in the morning, waiting for the first customer to walk through the glass door of the cafe. Eren usually found he was the first one to arrive and open the cafe, so the fact that he was laying in wait, staring at the door didn't surprise him. Every morning, when he shoved the key in the lock of the building, he did the same things in the exact same order as the previous morning. First, Eren would flip the sign on the door from 'closed' to 'Open', then take the previous day's menu out from the see - through, plastic strip on the door. From behind the counter, he would take the updated menu for that day and fill the plastic slip with it. Next, he would put his apron on and wipe down dark table tops and sweep the cream tiled floor. Yes, the cafe was always cleaned before it locked up for the night, but purely for the sake of killing time, Eren always made sure that any lingering mess was cleaned up before anyone stepped foot in the cafe. After that, Eren turned the cafe's stereo on, making sure all the speakers in the cafe were plugged in. There was no set playlist really, but Eren preferred to have mainly calm songs playing of a morning and heavier songs playing in the afternoon. All the workers did this, so Eren wasn't sure why he was so quick to hide it, but most mornings he would make himself a coffee using the cafe's supplies, sometimes he'd even make himself a small breakfast. Eren wasn't sure if it was acceptable to do so, but his boss was a very caring and understanding man, so if worse came to worse he would just get a small warning, nothing major. 

As Eren sat at the counter, he sighed, picking up his phone. Entering the staff's group chat, he let out a yawn as he typed. 

_' **Me:** Cafe' Rose's open. Whenever you're gonna save me from this loneless I'll be waiting.' _

No sooner did Eren put his phone down, it buzzed. 

_' **Ar ar:** I'm not far now! I'll be there in a few!' _

_' **Horse face:** Yo, I might be a little late.' _

_**'Me:**  What's new there. -_- ' _

_**'Ar ar:** don't start, you two, it's early enough.'   _

smirking, Eren put his phone down and huffed. 

His emerald orbs stared at the clock on the wall, watching it tick down the minuets before the door opened. 

Feeling a chill, Eren turned his attention to the door and smiled as he watched blonde hair fall into place. 

"Morning, Armin!" Eren offered a smile as Armin took his green apron off the rack by the door and put it on. 

"Morning, Eren! I see you swept up a little, did you cover the kitchen too?" At the question, Eren scoffed, sitting up straight. 

"No, I've left that for Jean. I don't mind taking over shifts for anyone, but I'm not doing -his- jobs for him." 

Blue eyes rolled as Armin chuckled. 

"Typical...Right, where's everyone stationed today? I forgot to check yesterday." 

Eren thought for a moment, then took the list out from under the counter. Looking at the white sheet in front of him, he nodded to himself, letting out a small hum of approval. 

"You, me and Krista are on till duty, Jean, Connie and Sasha are in the kitchen and Annie, Mikasa and Marco are taking turns cleaning up." 

Armin frowned slightly. 

"He's putting Sasha of all people in the kitchen? Again? Is he forgetting what happened last time?" Armin walked up to Eren, on the other side of the counter to look over the list. 

"Maybe...You know Mike, he trusts all of us...For some reason- So he'll probably just give her another warning or somethin-" 

"What's up!" 

Eren and Armin both looked at the door, then looked at each other, nodding to themselves. 

"Speak of the devil, and she shall appear. Hey, Sasha." Eren gave a small wave at Sasha's confused face. 

"Speak of the devil...Wha...?" 

Before Eren could speak, Armin opened his mouth. 

"You're in the kitchen today. **Don't.** Eat all the food." 

Hearing that, Sasha was thrown into a small fit of giggles. 

"I can't promise anything." She delved into her coat pocket at took out a cookie, looking Armin directly in the eye before biting down into it.

 

As the day rolled on, Mikasa made her way through the door, followed shortly by Annie, then Connie, then Marco and Krista, and finally, Jean. 

Among the then filled seats and low conversations, Eren spotted his...frenemy , trying to blend in with customers and sneak in through the door. 

"You're late, horse face. By three hours." As Jean paused putting his apron on, a few customers turned their heads, some smirking, some rolling their eyes. With slightly reddened cheeks, Jean gritted his teeth a snapped a short; 'I told you I would be. Bastard' on his way passed Eren, to the kitchen. 

As Eren darted from coffee maker to counter, he felt the buzz of being busy and found himself falling in love with his job for the thousandth time. Even though he was only making just enough to live off of, he wouldn't want any other job. With almost ten years of the same cycle under his belt, he supposed a few of his friends knew his view on his job too. 

 

The clock struck eight in the evening as Eren finished wiping down the counter. Looking up, he checked that Armin had flipped the sign on the door back over. The smell of coffee and cakes soaked the room, despite everything being cleaned up. That was one of the many things Eren loved about the cafe, it never lost it's scent. 

Putting his cloth down, he joined his other co-workers at the large table in the corner that they were gathered at. 

"Yeah? Then what happened?" Jean asked Connie, his eyebrow raised. A skeptical look rested on his features. Eren pulled a confused face and listened in, paying attention to Connie. 

"I had that specific dream! It was awesome! It was exactly what I asked for!" Before Eren had a chance to ask, Jean piped up again. 

"Yeah right...That was probably just coincidenc-" 

"No, it wasn't! Because when I thought about that same dream before going to sleep the next night, it didn't happen!" Blinking, Eren decided it best to ask. 

"What are you guys talking about?" He pulled a chair up to the table, nodding a quick 'thank you' to Armin for moving out of the way. 

"Dude- You haven't heard about that Magic Shop down the street?" Magic Shop? Eren tried to think, but came up empty. He hadn't seen any shops that sold anything to do with magic...Although, he was confused as to what a pack of magician's cards had to do with dreams. 

"Uh...N...No, I haven't...What do you mean by 'Magic Shop'? There aren't any magic shops around here." Knowing exactly what Eren was thinking, Armin tapped his arm. 

"No, not 'Magic Shop' as in the type of shop the sells cards and wands and such. 'Magic Shop' as in that strange shop down the street that sells dreams and other things like that." 

Eren's head was starting to spin. 

"Dreams? Y-Yeah...Right-" 

"At least we see eye-to-eye on something, Yeager." Hearing this, Eren huffed and stared at Jean for a few moments, trying his best to pull a face that didn't say anything other than 'shut up.' Then, he turned his attention back to Armin and Connie. 

"You can go in there to change your personality too." All eyes instantly went to Mikasa. 

"If you want more humor, for example, you go in there and ask for it. You talk to the person behind the counter and make a deal, then you walk out with more humor...Apparently. I don't know what deal you need to make, or how safe it is but, that's just what I've heard." 

Before Jean could laugh, Armin backed her up. 

"That's the basis of most 'Magic Shops', but the one down the street does that and more. Eren, you should visit it some time." 

Blinking, Eren only nodded a dismissive agreeance, sitting through the rest of the conversation before the group decided it was time to leave. 

...A 'Magic Shop' that sells dreams and changes your personality...It didn't make sense...But curiosity always did have a tendency to kill the cat. 

 

* * *

 

~ ''Magic Shop' is a phycodramatic technique that exchanges fear for a positive attitude." ~


	2. Chapter 2

 ~ ''Magic Shop' is a phycodramatic technique that exchanges fear for a positive attitude." ~

 

* * *

 

The cold night air nipped at Eren's skin as he pulled his coat closer to him; the harsh wind turned his large eyes to emerald slits. Before he left the cafe, Armin gave him directions to the 'Magic Shop' they were all talking about. As it played on Eren's mind, he was surprised he never heard of it considering how close it was to his house. Following the path Armin gave him, he turned a few corners before finally finding it. 

As Eren stood in front of the shop, it was like he was somehow captivated by the architecture of the shop. It was noticeably old, the wood on the outside of the building starting to show signs of rotting. A very thin layer of ice covered some parts of the shop front, somehow giving it a charming and antique look. As Eren walked closer, he took a few breaths before placing his gloved hand on the cold door handle, a shiver running through him as he turned the knob, some of the ice on it cracking and falling to his feet. 

Stepping into the shop, a warmth hit him. As the door closed gently behind him, his eyes widened. The shop kept the wooden theme from outside, giving it a cozy feel. Shelves upon shelves of items that Eren hardly recognized lined the shop. Eren could make out a few stacks of tarot reading cards, but that was all that looked familiar to him. As he took a few more steps, he saw buckets at waist height filled with strange things such as key chains and small bouncy balls, Turning his attention to the counter, a woman sat behind it, her head rested on her hand, her eyes closed behind her glaring glasses. The candle light that cast orange hues over her face showed Eren she was content...Should he wake her up? As he walked closer, he noticed a small chair in front of him, facing the counter. Behind the counter, he saw what looked to be a book shelf. Each square on the book shelf seemed to be filled with scrolls of some sort, the paper ranging in shades and apparent age. Taking another step, a creek from under him stirred the woman sitting at the counter. Her dark brown hair was pulled up into a band messily. As she stirred, she let out a soft groan and moved her hand, patting her head in a failed attempt to sort her hair out. As her eyes opened, hazel orbs stared directly at Eren's green ones. 

"Wh...Who are you?" Her voice was raspy as he paused, blinking at Eren, waiting for a response. 

"I-...I'm here to shop? A uh...A friend told me about this place.. I'm Eren...Sorry to wake you up..." 

As the woman looked around her, she seemed to realize where she was and nodded, an embarrassed  smile lining her lips. 

"Ah, you're here to shop! O-Of course...There's another Magic Shop just up the street a little further away. Ever since they opened last month, no one ever really visits our shop anymore...Right! Eren, what can I do for ya'? Please, take a seat." Eren only nodded and smiled politely in return, sitting in the seat in front of him. 

"So, do you know what you want?" As the woman asked the question, she seemed to come to life a little more and excitedly leaned both elbows on the counter, beaming at Eren. 

"W-Well, actually, I was hoping you could tell me what this all is...I...My friends at work were talking about this place and I guess I got curious." Eren sheepishly replied, lifting a hand to scratch the back of his neck. 

Nodding excitedly, the woman started to explain what things in the shop were. 

"Of course! That's alright! So, this shop does a lot! We specialize in personality changes, but, we also do tarot readings, dreams, astrology charts, and much more! Ask a question, I know you've got one!" 

Eren was taken back by their excitement...Very taken back. This shop was already strange enough to him as it was but, this woman was starting to make him feel slightly uncomfortable. 

"Uh...W...What do you mean by dreams?" At his question, Eren could have sworn he saw a white shimmer cross the woman's glasses. 

"Dreams! Right, yeah, dreams! As you see behind me," The woman pointed behind her. 

"These scrolls are dreams we offer! You buy one, and you have the specific dream you asked for! It's that simple. We do dreams of; 'Fame'; where you can slip away and be a famous guy for one night, 'Desire'; where you dream of what your heart desires at the moment, 'Hope'; which means that you'll dream of something that gives you hope, or of what the word means to you, 'Memory'; where you'll dream of something from your past in great and accurate detail. Finally, we do 'psychic dreams' where you'll have a vision of what's going to happen further down the line! We can't guarantee one hundred percent accuracy but, they won't be inaccurate either. We also give away these," The woman brought a small red tray out from under the oak desk. 

"These are charms that will make sure you never have nightmares! A little like dream catchers, but better. We also have," The woman brought out another tray, this one was darker than the other in colour. 

"These are charms that will give you nightmares. We call them 'nightmare fuel'. You never know what people want so, why not cover everything, you know?" 

The last comment was likely in reply to Eren's confused face. 

"I...Uhm...A-Alright...."

The woman took on board Eren's hesitance, but didn't address it. She took the two trays and put them back in their place, then brought out yet another tray. 

"We also do crystals!" 

Eren's eyes waltzed over all the crystals. Green, pink, purple, red, blue, sharp, blunt, smooth, rough, every type of crystal he could muster up in his mind laid right before him. 

"Depending on their colour, they do many different things and can be used in many different ways too!" Eren nodded, looking back up at the woman with amazement. 

"So, have you picked what you want? You don't have to be money conscious here. This shop runs on exchange." The woman beamed, putting the crystals away and retrieving a book, quill and ink. 

"E-Exchange?" Eren repeated. It was only then that it occurred to him that none of the items in the shop had a price on them. 

"W-Wait, then how does this shop run?" 

"Hm? Oh, it's all voluntary and a little bit of magic." The woman giggled before changing the subject. 

"Since it's your first time here, I'll write your name in our guest log. That's alright with you, isn't it?" Eren gave a nod. 

"Alright, good!" Once the woman wrote his name, she closed the book and brought out a box of tarot cards. 

"For us to get more in tune with you, we'll need to do a reading. It's nothing bad, we just need to form a connection with you if that makes sense. Aaanndd, if you ground yourself, the universe will lead you to pick what you need most! Although, you and a few others are the first customers we've had in a while, so I think we might just give you a few things and let you come back if you want more. I wouldn't want you to leave the shop unless you're all set, you know? So...A reading, a charm, a dream and a crystal." 

Eren's mind was spinning, trying to comprehend all of this. 

"A-Alright, sure, let's...Let's do a reading." 

With a grin, the woman nodded and took the cards out of their pack. 

"While I'm doing this, try and calm yourself, alright sweetie? Clear your mind and relax. Try and ground yourself." 

Eren nodded and closed his eyes. The sound of the crackling of candles and the flicks and sweeps of cards  filled his ears as he tried his best to clear his mind. 

 

When he opened his eyes, the woman had set out the cards and was looking at him expectantly. 

"When you're ready, pick ten cards." 

Nodding, it took Eren a while, but a strange, un-explainable feeling washed over him as he picked his cards. It was almost like the cards were speaking to him. Certain ones seemed larger than the others...The new territory for Eren was scaring him slightly already, but he continued, putting on a brave face. Once he picked ten cards, the woman took them and cleared the other cards away. Then, they smiled as they set one card down. 

The first card depicted a man in a strange outfit holding two yellow circles, connected by a green string, forming a figure of eight across the man. 

"Alright! So, this card shown the direction of the reading. It's the first one you picked and isn't a bad card at all! This card is called The Two of Pentacles. It's a little bit like yin and yang, but it shows change no matter what. This card being here, means that something is going to change. It'll be a large change, but you'll find harmony." 

The woman then drew out the second card, placing it over the first one side ways. 

"Ooohhh this card represents obstacles!" 

The card seemed to depict a strange Picasso-like drawing of The Pope...Eren wasn't sure if that was scary of creative. 

"In this position, this card means that you're getting a new opportunity at work! That's exciting! You're probably gonna do a great job handling this, don't worry." 

The woman nodded and hummed as she drew the next card, placing that below the other two cards. 

"The tower...The picture's very disturbing but, don't worry. This card isn't as bad as it looks. The card being here means that; things that are old have been replaced with new things. So this is more good than anything else!" 

The woman's face went from happy to concerned with the next card she drew. 

"Aahh...The Devil...The card here means that negative influences that are slowing your progress down are going to leave soon...But it's up to you to eliminate them. This and all the other cards are how you can relate to them, so if this means something small or something large, I wish you luck!" 

Placing the card to the left of the two cards, the woman quickly drew the next few cards, placing them on top, to the right side of the two cards in the center and one to the side of the circle of cards. 

"Right, so here we have; The Empress, The Fool and Temperance. The Empress being here shows me that all your efforts are going to get returned to you in a positive way! That's good! But you need to remember to be generous. Next...The Fool isn't an insult, don't worry!" 

The woman laughed to herself before continuing. 

"Here, it means that you need to be willing to try more things! In the opportunities that are coming your way, you need make sure that you try new things whenever you can, if no opportunity arises for you, make that opportunity rise yourself. And then, we have Temperance. This card here means that you need to remember to communicate with your relationship partner-" 

Eren's face instantly blew red. Working in a cafe that was fairly popular was a blessing, but it also meant that he was always busy. Unfortunately, this also meant that he couldn't ever find the time to peruse someone. His mind called back all the times Armin tried to match him up with people, but it never worked.   

"Ah-Haha! If you have one that is, if you don't have one now, this is telling you that someone is coming your way!" 

The woman was sent into a giggling fit before she carried on. 

"But when you get that relationship, you need to make sure you share your feelings and thoughts. Communication is key." 

Eren nodded quickly, trying to stomach the redness in his cheeks. 

"Alright, we have three left! Those aarreeee," 

The woman drew the next three cards and formed a line next to the circle of cards on the counter. 

"Ace of wands, Five of Pentacles and Ace of Pentacles! These cards are good! Man, you've got such a good reading!" The woman reached over the counter to playfully tap Eren's shoulder before continuing.  

"So," The woman pointed to each card as she explained what they meant. 

"The first one means that you might stumble across some money at some point soon, so that's always good! The next one means that you're gonna need to evaluate what's important to you, then decide what's gonna make you happy and ensure that happiness for a while. The last one means that- AH! Spiritual blessings and success are waiting for you!" 

That...That did sound like a good reading, Eren had to admit. The cards didn't really make much sense to him but, something in him told him to trust the cards. Having an open mind in the shop was something that was quickly becoming second nature to him. 

"Right! Now that's all done! Let's give you a charm, a dream and a crystal. Alright?" 

Eren only nodded, then paused. 

"Sure...Could I get your name too?" The woman paused. 

"Ohh right I haven't told you my name have I? It's Hanji! It's nice to meet ya!" 

Eren smiled in response. 'Hanji'...That was unique name. 

Hanji brought out the trays from before. One full of crystals, the other full of random items. 

"You don't want 'nightmare fuel', do you?" 

Eren shook his head. 

"Awesome. Going by your reading, you'll want a charm for luck...And maybe a crystal or two for luck and good health...Let me pick those for you!" 

Hanji hummed and picked up a few charms and crystals, looked at Eren, then, shaking her head, she put them back. This happened several times before she finally made a choice. She handed Eren a charm that was more like a key ring. A silver chain led to a puffy ball of red and green cotton on the end. 

"Hmm....Do you know what your star sign is, honey?" 

"Uh...Aries." Eren took a moment to think before answering confidently. 

"Ah! Right, of course! Then....This one!" 

Hanji picked out an aquamarine crystal, placing that and the key chain in front of Eren. 

"According to China, the colour red means happiness and fortune among other things, and green means wealth and growth. As for the crystal, you're an aries so that crystal should help you communicate and and help you achieve your goals." 

Eren picked both of those items up, the keychain feeling warm while the crystal felt cold. It seemed to have a burn element to it, he could feel his palm almost burning with a cold yet raw flame. 

"Finally, let's pick you out a dream, huh?" Hanji didn't wait for an answer. She turned around and hummed as she looked over the plethora of options. Eren almost got lost in thought as Hanji listed off each type of dream again.  

* * *

 

~ ''Magic Shop' is a phycodramatic technique that exchanges fear for a positive attitude." ~


End file.
